Royal Wolf, Common Cherry Blossom
by angelicat123
Summary: Sakura, a country girl, is taken to the Hong Kong Li highclass court by her evil caremistress. She meets Syaoran Li, cold prince. Events bring the two closer, and soon they start to wonder if a royal wolf can be allowed to love a common cherry blossom.R
1. The First Petal Unfurls

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Cardcaptor Sakura (although I do own my own OCs… which just happen to be mostly evil, its seems. Muhaha.).

Ch 1: The First Petal Unfurls

"Sayonara, Otou-san, Onii-chan! (A/N: I'm pretty sure that means 'Goodbye, Father, Brother!')" Sakura Kinomoto called out, waving a frantic hand, a bright, fake smile plastered to her face. Her eyes were fixed to the wagon that creaked farther and farther away from her along the road.

Her father turned around, his kind eyes sad although a small smile on his lips. "We'll be sure to be home soon, Sakura-san," he yelled back.

Sakura's older brother, Toya, was hunched over on the wagon, giving a dull thwack with the reins of the horses now and then. He raised an arm and gave a floppy wave, not turning around. He didn't seem to care much about leaving; of course, you could see that was not true if you looked at his face.

His expression was worried.

He did not trust his sister to be taken care of by that woman and her two daughters that stood next to the young girl. It was just a gut feeling, and Toya's gut feelings were seldom wrong. It must be the hints of magic in his blood from his mother's side of the family…

Toya was snapped out of his reverie by a thud sound that vibrated the old wagon. "Toya," Yukito Tsukishiro called out as a greeting, smiling his charming smile with kind eyes. He had jumped onto the wagon.

Because he and his older brother Yue had no family and lived alone, he was as close to the Kinomoto family as if a part of it. He had decided to come along this long business trip to the big trade city far away along the coast, although Yue had decided to stay at Tomoeda.

"Sayonara, Sakura-san!" Yukito's waved, "I'll make sure to bring you a souvenir!"

"Uh-huh!" Sakura nodded, hearts in her eyes. She absolutely adored the older boy, and was heartbroken at seeing him also leave.

"Don't break anything at the castle, kaiyjuu (A/N: 'Monster')," Toya added in a careless manner.

"Onii-chan!" Sakura yelled, furious, "I won't! And I'm not a monster!"

As the wagon dwindled more and more into the distance, until they were just a little black smudge in the countryside, Sakura felt tears well up in her eyes. She longed to run to them, and to go along, even if it meant leaving her beloved little village of Tomoeda. Although, it didn't make much of a difference, seeing as she would be leaving the village anyways.

Sakura's mother, Nadeshiko, had passed away when Sakura was only three, although the lovely woman had been only seventeen years old. Nadeshiko had been part of the Hong Kong court until marrying Sakura's father, Fujitaka. Through her, however, Fujitaka was able to find people to take care of his daughter while he was away on his business trip to the coast. He believed that she should live a life like her mother did, even if for just a while.

Shuirobara Kozu (A/N: Her first name means 'Scarlet Rose'), a beautiful lady with two lovely daughters, Yurihana (A/N: 'Lily Flower') and Kireinacho (A/N: 'Beautiful Butterfly') had agreed to take in Sakura for the time being. These high-class women lived in the capital Hong Kong, among the Li clan royalty, and promised him they would take wonderful care of Nadeshiko's only daughter.

Sakura was scared at the prospect of going to the fancy court. After all, she was nothing but a country girl; yes, people said she was cute and pretty, but what was that compared to the finery and frippery of the high-class court?

"Well," she thought determinedly and optimistically, "I'll just do my best to fit in. After all, I know I won't be staying, and I know I won't have a high position there. I'll just make some friends with the ladies-in-waiting or something and be happy."

Although, with the Kozu family, she'd probably be in contact with higher-class people more often than she would like. Sakura had even heard Shuirobara was determined to have one of her daughters wed the Li clan prince: Syaoran Li.

Village girls who had been lucky enough to visit the capital and catch a glimpse of the prince cooed over him. Sakura guessed it was mostly the idea of all the money and power, along with his supposed good looks. No boys, however, had ever interested her except for Yukito.

"This'll be an… an… adventure!" she told herself. "And when Otou-san and Onii-chan and Yukito-san come home, I'll have even more stories to tell than them." But she did not imagine the immensity of the story that would bloom around her, its petals opening one by one. She bid goodbye to her family one last time before smiling and looking forward to the future at the Hong Kong court. The first petal had just unfurled.

End of Ch 1

Nya! Hello readers, this is Angelicat! Reviews, please, and tell me what you think about it so far!

Shuiro and her daughters are very similar to the evil stepmother and stepsisters in Cinderella, although I don't plan to make the rest of the story like Cinderella.

Also, about the Japanese names. To get them, I just looked up translations of English words into Japanese, so to people who speak Japanese or something and are wondering about how the names probably don't make much sense or whatever, sorry. Although I want to learn Japanese, I can't and don't know it, so have to rely on an internet dictionary.

Now, about the Japanese honorifics. I decided to use them because it just wouldn't sound right without them. I found out the meanings of them from the beginning intro in xxxHolic books, also by Clamp. These definitions are from the book, and might help you out of you aren't familiar with them:

-san: This is the most common honorific, and is equivalent to Mr., Miss, Ms., Mrs., etc. It is the all-purpose honorific and can be used in any situation where politeness is required.

-sama: This is one level higher than "-san". It is used to confer great respect.

-dono: This comes from the word "tono", which means "lord". It is an even higher level than "-sama", and confers utmost respect.

-kun: This suffix is used at the end of boys' names to express familiarity or endearment. It is also sometimes used by men among friends, or when addressing someone younger or of a lower station.

-chan: This is used to express endearment, mostly toward girls. It is also used for little boys, pets, and even among lovers. It gives a sense of childish cuteness.

-sensei: Literally meaning "one who has come before", this title is used for teachers, doctors, or masters of any profession or art.

-blank: Perhaps the most significant difference between Japanese and English. The lack of honorific means that the speaker has permission to address the person in a very intimate way. Usually, only family, spouses, or very close friends have this kind of permission.


	2. Hello Hong Kong

Ch 2: Hello Hong Kong

Sakura stared with wide, green eyes reflecting the bustling activity around her. Women rode in little carriages, wearing costly, fine silks and velvets, all in the modern styles that kept changing in the capital. Men strutted around in fine suits, looking business-like and imperious. Delicate little shops showed off their goods through their windows.

"There're so much people!" she exclaimed softly, her hands pressed against the expensive windowpane on the pricey horse carriage.

Yurihana, or Yuri, sniffed, turning up her delicate nose at the country girl. She was a pale girl, with long sunshine gold hair and ice-blue eyes that gave her an exotic, goddess-like aura. Her clothes, of course, were of the utmost quality, fitting her thin frame well. She was like an ice-princess; cold to most people, although beautiful and cunning. Underneath her frosty eyes was a calculating mind, one that thought out carefully how to ensnare the most handsome, rich boys in her web.

"It's in that village of yours where there's so little people," Kireinacho, or Kireina, muttered. The younger Kozu daughter had more meat on her bones than her skinny sister; she wouldn't be considered fat, but she was a bit chubby all the same. She constantly tried to diet, choosing vegetables and tofu over the rich meals that were prepared for the family, fit for a king. A little plump or not, Kireinacho was an eyecatcher, always flirting and fussing over her looks. She had ebony black hair, inherited from her mother, with chocolate brown eyes.

Sakura, being who she was, didn't notice, or really pay attention to, any of the two girls' faults. She was a naturally bright and happy girl, with red-brown hair and sparkling emerald eyes. She cared little for clothes, boys, or money; something the Kozu sisters just could not comprehend. Sakura didn't notice the scornful glares sometime directed at her, and the way the two sisters often rolled her eyes and her ignorance of city life.

Shuirobara, or Shuiro, sat primly in the carriage. She was an intimidating-looking woman, with raven-black hair, flashing, dark eyes, milk-white skin and a perfectly sculpted face. Both her daughters inherited their mother's vanity, and Shuirobara made sure to cultivate it, constantly ordering ladies-in-waiting to fix Kireina's hair, or add a bit more make-up on Yuri. But however cold and snappy she was, Sakura thought she was practical and sensible, and that they would get along well enough, if not well.

The carriage rattled along the cobblestone road through the gates that marked the entrance to the Li clan castle. This time, Sakura was too stunned to say anything but a small "Ho-e!" and gape.

The Li clan was royalty, and so, of course, was the richest family. Their castle reflected their vast wealth: spiraling towers and stained glass windows, lush gardens with a rainbow of flowers, guards dressed smartly in their uniforms, a meadow with prancing horses…

Sakura's head whipped this way and that, trying to see everything at once. "Calm down," Yuri said coldly. Sakura just beamed at her.

"But there's just so much stuff!" she exclaimed happily, "I've never seen such grandness!"

"Of course not," Kireina sighed, exasperated, "This is the Li castle, and you're from the countryside." The words "Li castle" and "countryside" were emphasized, but Sakura took no notice of their negative purpose.

They arrived in specially prepared rooms on the second floor within the large castle; the Kozu family, after all, was a prominent member of the high-class rich and famous. The walls were made of creamy marble, the rooms with fluffy down beds. Extravagant paintings adorned the walls, and fresh flowers sat in intricate vases.

"Ho-e!" Sakura exclaimed, running into the main room and twirling around, arms spread out. She saw two separate bedrooms ahead, one for Shuiro and the other for the girls. She heard a stifled yell from behind, and turned.

"She's going to sleep in our room?!" Kireina wailed towards her mother, who seemed to have just broken that news.

"Why can't she sleep in the servant's quarters?!" Yuri demanded.

Shuiro silenced them both with a glare. "I promised dear Fujitaka that we'd take the best of care of Sakura," she said sweetly, smiling towards Sakura.

Sakura managed to smile back, even though Shuiro's expression and the girls' menacing glares caused a shiver to run up her spine, and make her want to run all the way back to Tomoeda, where Otou-san and Onii-chan and Yukito would be waiting, with real smiles on their faces. The smile on Shuiro's reminded Sakura of poisoned-honey.

It was then Sakura realized her relationship with the two sisters didn't seem to be going along all that well, but she was determined to make it better. "We'll be friends in no time!" she thought hopingly.

A loud meow from the doorway got their attention. A battered-looking footman came in, carrying a carrier with a cat inside. The animal was yellow and very small, will small eyes that resembled just dots. Its large ears were catlike, and it had a large head with a small body. A thin tail whipped around angrily, with a little white tuft of fur at its end.

"Kero-chan!" Sakura gasped, rushing forward to take the carrier. "He's a strange one, ma'm," the footman scowled, "He sure made a large commotion for such a little, sweet-looking kitty."

"Sorry," was her reply, as she stroked Kero's (short for Kerberos, actually) head, "He can get a bit feisty."

Yuri and Kireina were edging away from Kero as if he were rabid. "Please, don't go around in public with that thing," Kireina moaned, "If I'm seen with it, my reputation's ruined. It looks like a tiny cat plush animal with an ultra-big head."

Kero hissed, and would've attacked Kireina (most likely chomp on her finger) if Sakura didn't hold him back.

"Lord!" Yuri gasped, "What type of savage creature are you taking care of?!"

"Oh!" Yuri and Kireina suddenly gasped simultaneously, after something through window at the courtyard caught their eyes. Sakura blinked cluelessly as they scrambled and raced out of the room, down the stairs to the outdoors.

"Ho-e?" she chirped as she ran, following them, leaving behind the still-fuming Kero. She noticed, as she went out the door that led into the gardens, that a gaggle of girls was clustered around the courtyard that could be viewed from their room window. Some males were there too, watching something, and all the people were ooh-ing and aah-ing at whatever spectacle they were watching.

Sakura managed to squeeze through the mass of bodies to get an adequate view of what was going on. What she saw surprised her.

A boy dressed in loose but fine Chinese-style clothes whirled around. He had chestnut brown, floppy hair and dark eyes with thick brows, giving him a mature, serious look. His arms and legs flashed as he whipped a decorated sword around, obviously doing some kind of martial arts. The girls around her squealed and clapped, screaming words. Sakura could make out some like, "Ohjisama! ("Prince")" and "Li-sama!", although no one called by his first name.

She started. She was looking at the Li clan prince, sought by almost every girl: Syaoran Li!

Currently, there was no king on the Li throne; there was only Queen Yelan Li. Her husband had passed away a long time ago, leaving her to raise four daughters and a younger son. Syaoran Li was, therefore, the heir to the throne, and whomever he would be married to would be the next queen.

Another footman had come trotting over, and made his way to where the prince was standing. "Ohjisama," he said, bowing, "It is time for the afternoon meal." The boy, however, ignored the footman, and continued on with his practice. The footman hung around nervously, wondering if the prince hadn't heard.

"Syaoran!" a shrill voice from behind yelled. People were pushed away as a figure bounced towards him. "Come on, it's lunch time!" A pretty girl ran to him and glomped him. Sakura resisted the urge to giggle. The prince looked very grim and annoyed as he glared at the girl, and as if he were almost used to it.

The newcomer had black hair tied up in two buns with quite a bit of hair still let down from them. She wore also Chinese-style clothes, but hers were in bright colors, unlike Syaoran Li's.

"Her name is Meilin Li, in case you were wondering," a soft voice whispered in Sakura's ear, "She's Li-sama's cousin, and self-appointed fiancée." Sakura whipped around, and found herself staring into a kind, smiling face.

End of Ch 2

R-E-V-I-E-W-S!!!!!!!!!!!! Por favor!

Sorry, no interaction between Syaoran and Sakura yet, and I feel as if the plot is going along at a snail pace, but… sorry. I just can't seem to quicken the pace, and I'm taking my time introducing all the characters and stuff…


	3. New Friends

Chapter 3: New Friends

"Hello," the girl said, "My name is Tomoyo Daidouji. I haven't seen you around here before." She was a beautiful girl, also with long, ebony hair and eyes and a pale complexion. Her face just spoke of kindness.

"N-nice to meet you," Sakura stammered, "My name is Sakura Kinomoto. And I've just arrived here today, along with Kozu-san and her daughters. They're taking care of me while my father and brother are on a business trip."

"Kinomoto… Kinomoto," Tomoyo murmered, "That name sounds familiar. Ah well… welcome to the Li estate, Kinomoto-san. We don't get people from outside these walls here often. You can call me Tomoyo. May I call you Sakura-chan?" She smiled agreeably.

"U-uhn!" Sakura consented happily, "I hope we can be good friends, Tomoyo-chan!"

Tomoyo smiled delightfully again. "I know we will," she laughed, and then beckoned to a group of girls behind her.

"Sakura-chan, allow me to introduce my personal ladies-in-waiting. This is Chiharu Mihara." Chiharu was a happy-looking girl with her curly red-brown tied in two cute, high pigtails. She smiled and waved.

"This is Rika Sasaki." Rika had short, glossy brown hair that reached her chin in gentle curls. She looked kind and mature, and gave a small smile and a bow.

"And this is Naoko Yanagisawa." Naoko wore large glasses, and had short, straight hair. She managed a shy smile.

"N-nice to meet you all," Sakura said, beaming, "I hope we can be good friends, too!"

Tomoyo chuckled.

"Ho-e?" Sakura cocked her head in confusion.

"Oh, it's just that I'm relieved to find someone else here who doesn't regard servants and people of lower station as inferior," Tomoyo smiled happily, "I regard my ladies-in-waiting as friends, unlike many others here. I only referred to them as ladies-in-waiting to you because I thought, living with the Kozu family, you would also shun the idea of servants as friends."

"That doesn't make sense!" Sakura protested, "I don't understand that. Although it might be because I'm from the countryside, and we don't have servants there."

"Daidouji-san!" a woman called, "It's time for your singing lessons!"

"Hai!" Tomoyo replied, and turned around to leave. "Sorry, I've got to go."

"No problem," Sakura grinned, ecstatic at making some friends at this new place, "Do you like to sing, Tomoyo-chan?"

"Hai," Tomoyo said, "I love to."

"She's the best singer in court," Chiharu piped up.

"Ho-e…" Sakura stared at Tomoyo in amazement, making Tomoyo giggle.

"I'm not _that_ good," Tomoyo smiled.

"Actually, she _is_ that good," Rika added, "And she's the best seamstress, too. Most of the new fashions that keep appearing are invented by Tomoyo-san."

Sakura stared in awe even more. "Wow!!! You're so talented, Tomoyo-chan! Maybe you could teach me one day," she clapped her hands.

"As a matter of fact, I'd like to try some of my new outfits on you," Tomoyo suggested innocently.

Her ladies-in-waiting shared a private grin at Sakura's willingness to participate. They could tell their mistress thought Sakura was the perfect model for her clothes, and they knew how very obsessed their mistress could get.

Tomoyo left for her class, accompanied by her friends, after promising to see each other later.

A second later, a footman ran over to Sakura, saying with a bow, "Kinomoto-san, Kozu-san requests that you join her for the afternoon meal." Startled at being addressed so politely, she stuttered she would be coming right away. Realizing she was starving, Sakura hurried to the dining room that the footman escorted her to.

At home, only the basic of manners were needed, and lunch was a time of talk and cheerfulness. Sakura never knew there could be so many rules on a thing as simple as eating: which utensils to use first, no elbows on the table, no talking with food in your mouth, take small bites and don't eat to fast, etc etc.

"Thank goodness we didn't eat with the other court members today," Yuri said scathingly, "Who taught you manners at the table? I can only imagine what other barbaric things you do. It looks like we have a lot to teach you before you can be at least a look a little bit presentable."

Kireina nodded viciously. "We'll have to get some new clothes for you, too," she eyed Sakura's dress as if it were rags. The dress was actually one of her best dresses, and used to be her mother's. Sakura kept her head low, not meeting any eyes as she smoothed her skirts, trying not to cry. True, the dress was cute and girlish compared to the elegant and sophisticated ones that the other women wore, and the material wasn't expensive cloth, either.

As soon as the meal was finished, Sakura ran out into the courtyard. For the first time she realized there was no way Kireina and Yuri were going to get along with her, and she now had her first glimpse at their cruelty.

Sakura felt those unwanted tears start to fog her eyes and run down her cheeks as she sprinted into the flourishing garden. Just as she turned a corner of tall, rectangular bushes, she slammed into someone, giving a small yell before falling onto her bottom from the impact.

"Oww…" she murmered, wincing and rubbing her teary eyes to clear them. She looked up, ready to apologize.

"You should watch where you're going," a cold voice stated.

End of Ch 3

Please take the time to write a review!!!!!!!! They are very much appreciated!


	4. Syaoran Li

Ch 4: Syaoran Li

Syaoran had been dragged by his annoying "fiancée" to lunch, which, because of the fine weather, was set up on a large beautiful ebony wood table in the courtyard. At the table sat his mother, his four older sisters, and some other court members who had been lucky enough to join the royal family for the afternoon meal.

Syaoran snorted to himself in disgust. Almost every one of those court member had a doe-eyed, perfect-looking daughter who also sat at the table.

He wasn't stupid; he knew those families had been specially chosen by the council of elders to be at the table today. Picking up little gossips from servants, and the general feelings from the elders, Syaoran knew they were trying to find a suitable wife for him.

Actually, in the elder's eyes, all of the girls they chose were suitable; the women were smart, stunningly beautiful, rich, and came from wealthy high-class court families. It was just the matter that Syaoran had acted the same to every one offered: cold, unresponsive, and ignoring. He had no interest in them; their small movements to scoot closer to him, acting shy and demure and lady-like. They only wanted him because of his money and status and good looks.

If he couldn't find anyone better, which he probably wouldn't, he would agree to marrying Meilin; at least she was energetic and different from all those other stupid, superficial girls, although she could be too boisterous and really exasperating at times.

He had finished lunch in a hurry, excusing himself and muttering some incomprehensible excuse to go. Some elders who also sat at the table frowned, and Meilin looked at him pityingly; she knew Syaoran hated being around the air-headed girls he was forced to interact with. She would have left with him, but she knew the elders would give her a lecture (they dared not lecture Syaoran very often; only when he did something particularly bad). Besides, they were having sesame dumplings and peach buns for lunch, which was Meilin's favorite (A/N: It actually is; I found out on Wikipedia).

Syaoran's mother's expression remained the same; she was proper and reserved, rarely showing much emotion. She was a true beauty, with perfectly sculpted features, milky white skin, and midnight black, long straight hair worn with intricate, traditional hair decorations. She also knew of her son's distaste towards the girls he was matched up with, and, although did not show it, agreed with him, and did not make a move towards stopping his departure.

He was passing through the garden when, as he turned a corner, he felt a force slam into him. He staggered a bit, but did not fall, and he glanced down after balancing himself when he heard a small "Ow…".

Syaoran was annoyed, and glared at the runner. "You should watch where you're going," he said coldly. The runner, a girl, had raised her head. Syaoran took a step back, a bit startled.

Large emerald eyes stared back at him, and they were filled with tears that slid down her cheeks. . He had never seen such a green color…

Her hair was amber-brown and short, and tied in two girlish pigtails. Judging from her clothes, she wasn't part of a court family, and looked like she had no business on the castle grounds.

"S-sorry, I wasn't looking…" she sniffled, and then her eyes went wide as she recognized who she was. "A-a-aaaaah!" she yelped, with a large slide backwards, "I-I'm s-s-s-so very s-sorry, O-ohji-s-sama! ("Prince")" She then jumped up and bowed so fast and so many times Syaoran thought she'd fall over. He held in an amused snort.

He was about to dismiss her scornfully, but then realized he had never seen this particular girl around before (Well, ok, he admitted to himself, half the girls he was introduced to he didn't remember their names or faces three seconds later, but really, he hadn't seen her around before. As in hadn't seen, not hadn't remembered.).

"You're not from around here, are you," he asked abruptly. That was easy to tell, looking at her clothes.

"A-ah, no, O-ohjisama," she stuttered, "I c-came from T-tomoeda t-today. W-with the Kozu f-f-family. They're taking c-care of me f-f-for now while my family is o-on a trip."

He grimaced inwardly. The Kozu family, eh? They had some daughters, he seemed to remember, who were also candidates for his wife. Knowing that family, they didn't do anything if there wasn't a profit in it for them. Did the Kozu mother adopt this dense country girl in hope of another candidate to compete for the spot of the future queen? If they did, they had worse taste than he originally thought they had.

"A-ano… ("Um")" the girl said softly, "D-daijobu-deska? ("Are you okay?") I ran into you pretty hard…"

"If you think that would hurt me, you either grew up with weak people or are seriously stupid," he scornfully, annoyed by her… her… her what? Worry? Yes, that was it… no one ever worried about him because he was him, only because he was the prince.

She shied away as if struck. "S-sorry…" he heard her murmur. Judging by her quivering voice, the dumb chit was going to cry again.

"It's okay, whatever," he said impatiently, annoyed by her weakness. She seemed to be the type to cry at every little wrong in her life. "Uh… what were you crying for before?" he asked awkwardly, genuinely curious.

"A-ah? Oh, nothing, nothing really…" she laughed the question off shakily.

He shrugged. Whatever. It's not like he really cared or anything. "Well, bye," he said, without emotion, and walked away. She gave a startled little jerk, then seemed to make up her mind and ran after him. "M-matteo ("Wait")!" she cried out, "Could you give me directions to Tomoyo Daidouji's house?"

Syaoran halted, surprised. No one dared ask him questions like that, him being a prince; almost everywhere he went he was treated with respect, and he had never been asked something as simple as to give directions.

"The building next to the bird fountain to your left," he said gruffly, and turned around to remind her who she was addressing. But the words didn't leave his mouth.

"Arigato!" she cried happily, and turned to the direction given. Syaoran felt some weird feeling build up in his chest as he stared at her sweet smile and cheerful face. Almost against his will, as if the words came out of their own accord, he heard his voice asking, "M-matte! What's your name?"

The girl turned around, looking surprised, then delighted. "S-sakura Kinomoto, Ohjisama," she grinned, and as she turned a corner and disappeared from sight, she stopped, gave a large wave, then continued to skip towards the Tomoyo residence.

Syaoran was left there, speechless, as he tried to comprehend what he had just done and why he did it.

"What a weird girl," he finally decided, and left it at that. He probably wouldn't be seeing her anymore, anyways.

"Sakura Kinomoto," he mused as he walked down the path to get his practice sword. For some reason, he felt as if he would never forget her name like he did all the other girls'.

End of Ch 4

And finally the two future-lovers meet! I've decided this'll be more of a Cinderella story than I thought, but only in the beginning. You'll get what I mean in the next chappie, so please REVIEW! Suggestions and constructive criticism is welcome.


	5. Tomoyo and her Clothes

A/N: Oh yeah, about the review saying Sakura is being kinda… well… dense; yes, that's true, but isn't that her personality? She always believes in the best of everybody, and doesn't really have suspicions about anybody unless you stick it in front of her nose. Now, onto the fifth chappie!

Ch 5: Tomoyo and Her Clothes

Sakura ran along the path, following the direction the Ohjisama had given her. For the moment, her negative emotions regarding the Kozu family had evaporated; she hoped to have some fun with Tomoyo before dinner.

She pondered a bit on her meeting with Syaoran Li. He was rather like the Kozu girls, she decided, for he was also cold and could be cruel. But there was something in his eyes that she couldn't figure out; some kind of loneliness and desperation that made her want to know him better, and to be intimate enough as to be able to put her arms around him and comfort that forlorn soul.

Sakura shook her head, confused and appalled by her thoughts. He was the _prince_, for heavens' sake! She would probably be considered lucky to meet him up close even once.

Those thoughts were swept out of her mind as she entered a gate that led onto the Daidouji estate. A small "Ho-e!" escaped her lips as she looked back and forth.

For a moment, she was terrified at meeting Tomoyo again, after seeing her house (more like mansion). It was obvious the Daidouji family must be extremely wealthy and a part of the high-class, looking at the elegant fountains and blossoming gardens, with a majestic three-story mansion that loomed almost eerily, it was so large.

Then Sakura saw a figure in one of the windows look out, see her, and wave. With a start of happiness, she realized it was Tomoyo, and waved back, running up to the large door as Tomoyo ran down from her room.

"Konichiwa, Sakura-chan! This is a pleasant surprise!" Tomoyo smiled breathlessly, breathing hard from her quick run.

"Konichiwa, Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura grinned, "Sorry to barge in like this, but I had some free time, and was wondering if I could spend it with you, if your aren't busy or something…"

"Of course!" Tomoyo beamed, "Perfect timing! I found some perfect outfits for you, Sakura-chan!"

Sakura was ushered to Tomoyo's room, where she and Chiharu, Naoko, and Rika chattered while Tomoyo went to get the clothing.

"Ho-e!" Sakura gasped when she saw the garments Tomoyo laid out on the bed, "They're wonderful, Tomoyo-chan! You made these?!"

"Hai," Tomoyo replied, "Would you try this one on, Sakura-chan?" She picked up a silky, pink gown with lots of ruffles and lace and short sleeves, and rummaged around for a pair of matching shoes, along with a couple hair clips and a pair of long, white gloves.

Sakura went into a room made just for changing, and with Tomoyo and her friends' help, managed to get the dress on.

"Kawaii!!!!" Tomoyo gushed, with sparkles in her eyes, "Sakura-chan, I knew you would look absolutely stunning in this dress! Later, when we don't have as many more to try on, you must let me sketch you (A/N: Well, I don't think they would have video cameras in this type of time period, so drawing will have to do for poor Tomoyo.)!!"

"H-hai!" Sakura consented as she spun around, looking at herself in the mirror, "But Tomoyo-chan, your dresses could make anyone look good!"

An extra sparkle flashed in Tomoyo's eyes as she got an idea. "Sakura-chan, next week there's a ball in celebration of the king and queen's anniversary. It'll be a masquerade ball (A/N: Yes, I got that idea from the second CCS movie), and I've already finished the dresses for that ball that I was scheduled to make. Could I make yours?" she pleaded.

"E-eh?!" Sakura blinked, "B-but if this is the queen's anniversary, w-wouldn't that mean that me, being a commoner and all, shouldn't be allowed to attend?"

"It's a masquerade ball! No one would know!" Chiharu clapped her hands, "That's a great idea! Being Tomoyo-chan's ladies-in-waiting and all, we always attend balls with her. You should come too, Sakura-chan!" The girls always called Tomoyo "Tomoyo-chan" when they were in private, and only "Tomoyo-san" when they were in public.

"The steward said that anyone could join, as long as they had appropriate clothes and had a mask adequate enough so that you can't tell who that person is," Rika added, smiling, "Although good manners and other obvious things such as that are required, too. Most commoners can't go, though, because they don't have fine enough clothes and don't know the required basic court manners, but if your clothes are made by Tomoyo-chan and the Kozu family teaches you etiquette, it wouldn't be a problem at all. It would be very nice if you could come, Sakura-chan."

"Maybe you could even get a dance with the prince," Naoko said shyly, "With Tomoyo-chan's clothes and Sakura-chan's looks, I think any male there would fall for her." Sakura blushed a bit at this compliment.

"I really would like to come…" she smiled, but her smiled disappeared when she suddenly remembered something.

"B-but the Kozus will be going, too," Sakura said, "I'll have to ask the them whether I can go." She drooped inwardly at this; she recalled the scorn they directed towards her, and doubted they would approve her to go to something as big as this.

"Well, ask them," Tomoyo said cheerfully, too delighted to really notice Sakura's discomfort, and did not know of the Kozu mistreating Sakura, "If they're taking care of you for so long, that probably means Kozu-san will be treating you like a daughter. I'm sure she'll let you go!"

"H-hai, I'll ask," Sakura sighed, but then determination gripped her as she resolved to get on the Kozus' good side. The saying "easier said than done" popped up in her mind, but she resolutely pushed it away.

She promised herself she was going to go to that masquerade ball, and with the Kozu-san's permission.

End Ch 5

Reviews, por favor, onegai, please!


	6. Rebellion

A/N: Yes, this turned out to be more of a Cinderella story than I thought…

Ch 6: Rebellion

"Go to the queen's anniversary ball?" Shuiro's sweet voice exclaimed in surprise, "Why, I would allow you to, but you really need to touch up a bit on your etiquette. If you succeed in doing so, of course you may go."

"A-arigato!" Sakura beamed, wondering why she had ever been worried at all. Of course, she had totally forgotten about the Kozu daughters until now.

"Her, go to the Masquerade Ball?!" Yuri shrieked, "Mother, you can't allow her to go to one of the most important occasions of the year! She'll be a disgrace!"

"She'll totally humiliate us," Kireina agreed in a wail.

Sakura flinched at their tone and words, but then brightened up. "Don't worry," she assured the girls, "I'll know all the manners and stuff in no time!"

Sakura didn't understand that it wasn't only the fact that her etiquette was horrible; the Kozu daughters didn't want her there because she was… well… Sakura. She was a country girl, had horrible fashion and hair sense, and couldn't do any of the things court females were expected to know like dancing, playing instruments, embroidery, etc etc.

Yuri and Kireina had had the misfortune of trying to teach Sakura to dance that morning; comments that had made included that Sakura was dead-clumsy. After the dancing disaster, they tried to teach her embroidery and needlework; Sakura now had bandages on her hands where she poked her fingers on accident with her needle.

"Now, girls," Shuiro spoke sharply, although, unnoticed by Sakura, her eyes spoke of later discussions on this topic to her daughters. Seeing this, Yuri and Kireina deflated rapidly and both nodded sulkily.

As Sakura walked out of the room, wondering where Kero was, Shuiro closed the door and turned to face her two daughters. "Do you truly think I would allow that country girl to attend the Masquerade Ball?" she scolded them gently, "The task I set for her is not accomplishable, if we take into the fact that it is Sakura who will be learning the manners and us who will be judging. Even if she improves, she cannot learn and master everything needed at a large dance such as this one. Therefore, there is no way for her to go to the Masquerade Ball. We shall make sure of that."

----------------

Sakura spent the rest of the days before the ball working hard, memorizing curtsies and mannerisms and dance steps and which fork to use first and which to use last. There was so much needed to cram into her head, although she thought she was doing pretty well, and was optimistically sure she was going to be allowed to go to the Masquerade Ball.

Two days before the ball, Shuiro came into the room where Sakura was diligently practicing her curtsies, now only tipping over one every couple curtsies. Shuiro had a realistic-looking sad expression on her face as she told Sakura, "Sakura, dear, I'm so very sorry, but my daughters, I, and the elders who decide this have agreed; you have not progressed enough on your studies to be allowed to attend the Masquerade Ball. Please understand this. But I'm quite sure you shall be able to go to later events."

"N-nani ("What?")?" Sakura could only manage to squeeze that word out of her throat that suddenly tightened. She had been so very looking forward to experience a court dance with Tomoyo and the other girls…

"Sooooorrrrry, Sakura-chan!" Kireina sweetly, and even Sakura, dense as she could be sometimes, could here the sarcasm and glee in her voice. The three walked out of the room without another word.

Sakura sat down with a loud thump on the floor, her bangs shadowing her face and her body shaking with repressed sniffles. She stood up again, and thoughts of persuading Shuiro whirling in her head, ran after them to Shuiro's room. She was just about to knock when she heard voices talking, and, against her usual honest personality, pressed her ear to the door.

"She didn't think we would actually let her go to the ball, did she?" The voice was unmistakably Kireina.

"I still don't see why we agreed to take in the stupid chit in the first place," a voice muttered, "Although I do complement you on your acting skill, Mother. That sad expression was very realistic. I wonder if she suspects we turned her down on purpose." Somewhere in Sakura's thoughts, vaguely, she decided that was probably Yuri. That thought, however, was blotted out by the sickening feeling growing in her stomach, and the growth of the realization just how much she was unwelcome in this household.

"Thank you, Yurihana," Shuiro's voice now said, "And I don't believe she would think up something like that. She believes too easily that everyone is as innocent as her. I have never seen anyone as gullible or stupid as her. Now that that is over with, so we can concentrate on perfecting your skills. The prince will have to marry, one day or another, to one girl or another, and we shall work hard to make one of you his bride."

"Hai ("yes")," both girls replied in unison. At this point, Sakura had backed away from the door as if it had a disease, tears now spilling down her face and hiccupping sobs vibrating her body. Without thinking, she ran out of the dormitory, rushing past confused and alarmed guards and footmen, through the garden, her mind unconsciously directing her to the one place in this alien world where she could seek comfort.

She reached Tomoyo's house quickly, her sobs causing her to be even more breathless than she would have been. Tomoyo, who was just coming downstairs, gave a startled cry when she saw Sakura push open the large doors and collapse into the living room.

"Sakura-chan! Sakura! What is it, what's wrong?!" Tomoyo rushed to her crying friend, putting her arms around the girl. She managed to get Sakura up the stairs into her room, where, in between sniffs and hiccups, explained what she had heard through the door.

"I knew they could be mean, but I never thought they were so horrible," Tomoyo breathed, hints of anger on her usually-gentle face. Chiharu, Rika, and Naoko stood behind her, silent and also angry.

"W-what should I do?" Sakura mumbled miserably. She looked up to see a very determined-looking Tomoyo.

"You'll go to the ball anyways," she declared.

"N-nani?!" Sakura blinked, "Tomoyo-chan, do you know how much trouble I'd get into if I got caught?"

"Then you just won't get caught," Tomoyo shot back reasonably, "Sakura-chan, we'll defy those horrid Kozu women. You'll come to the ball; I can make you look so different not even I could recognize you."

"E-eh?!" Sakura was still flabbergasted, but Tomoyo smiled gently. "Trust me, Sakura-chan," she said firmly, "If you're going to stay with that family, you might as well have some fun. If you bow down and scrape to them, you'll never make it through your time with them. We have to start strong and independent from the beginning; we're not going to let the Kozu family control your life."

"Wow, Tomoyo-chan, that's so inspirational," Chiharu and Naoko breathed, with stars as eyes.

"Tomoyo-chan's right, Sakura-chan," Rika nodded, ignoring her two very impressed friends, "We're going to have fun together, behind those witches' backs."

"Arigato-gozaimas (A/N: or however you spell that), minna-san ("everyone")!" Sakura sniffled, tears in her eyes. She couldn't believe she had the luck to meet such good friends.

"No problem," Chiharu cheered, "That's what friends are for!"

"Onto Operation Rebellion!" Tomoyo announced in a dramatic voice, striking a heroic pose and making everyone laugh.

Sakura grinned. Operation Rebellion, huh? She liked the sound of that…

End Ch 6

Arigato muchos to all my reviewers!! They are mucho mucho appreciated :D!!!! hint hint In other words, please leave your thoughts in a review!


	7. Of Liars, Cats, and Girl Preparations

Chapter 7: Of Liars, Cats, and Girl Preparations

It was the night of the ball, and Sakura had, painstakingly, acted polite, nice, and unsuspiciously throughout the whole period of time before. She was now on her knees, sewing up a miniscule tear in the pale blue silk of Yuri's dress, anticipation and worry making her body rigid and movements jerky.

Shiro narrowed her eyes suspiciously as she noticed Sakura's tension, but brushed it off, thinking it was due to her disappointment at not being able to go to the ball. Little did she know it was from nervousness at sneaking away to Tomoyo's as soon as the three women left, and getting ready for the ball there.

Shiro, dressed in a stunning scarlet, flashy velvet dress, sauntered out the door to the waiting carriage, followed by Kireina in an orchid-colored low-necklined hoop gown, and Yuri in her sky-blue, thinner-styled dress. Sakura bid them goodbye, and her heart beat frantically, thump-thumping against her chest as she watched the carriage rattle off into the night.

"Oh no!!!" Sakura suddenly thought frantically, "I have to go to Tomoyo's house, but walking there would take too long; we're going to be really late if I don't get there in on a horse or soemthing…"

As if reading her mind, a carriage suddenly creaked up to in front of the gate, where she was standing. A smiling, black-haired boy with happily closed eyes jumped off of the driver's seat, and with a flourish, offered his hand to the very befuddled Sakura.

"Lady Sakura Kinomoto?" he questioned; if she could see his eyes, she was sure they would have been glinting amusedly.

"H-hai…" she replied uncertainly, hesitant to take his waiting hand.

"Lady Tomoyo arranged for me to pick you up," the boy said cheerfully, "My name is Takashi Yamazaki, steward."

"Oh!" Sakura breathed a sigh of relief, "That's Tomoyo, always thinking ahead. Thank you, Yamazaki-kun!"

"My pleasure." Yamazaki grinned. He was pleased with her casualness and friendliness; not at all like many nobles who strutted by them with their noses in the air.

As Sakura hopped into the carriage, a streak of yellow darted through the open door. Yamazaki squinted his already closed eyes, but said nothing to Sakura about the little, strange-looking yellow cat that crouched in the shadows, purring satisfactorily to itself.

----------------

"Are you good friends with Tomoyo-chan?" Sakura asked Yamazaki, curiously.

"Quite, but it is her lady-in-waiting Miss Chiharu Mihara I am most familiar with. We are childhood friends," Yamazaki replied. He was, again, happily surprised at her response.

"You don't need to talk so formally, Yamazaki-kun," Sakura scolded him, "It makes me nervous, as if I'm all high-class."

Yamazaki grinned again. He was starting to like this girl. "Alright then," he complied happily, and after a couple moments of silence launched into a tale of the history of masquerade balls. A tale, mind you, but poor clueless and gullible Sakura didn't know that…

"Aaaa, poor Maya-san!" she squealed when he finished, "Who knew masquerade balls started because a girl put on a mask for a dance because she thought she was ugly?"

He was delighted at having someone who actually fell for his story (not counting the prince, who fell for them every time; he grinned wickedly just at the thought).

They arrived at Tomoyo's house, and Yamazaki's kindness and humor had cheered Sakura up greatly. She skipped into the waiting Tomoyo's room, who was almost already done with her and her maids' clothes. She didn't seen the cat trot out of the carriage, regal as a king, and make its way through the door that Yamazaki held open for it.

"Tomoyooooooo-cha-!" Sakura practically sang, but was cut off as the other girls swarmed over her.

"No time to waste, Sakura-chan!" Chiharu declared, pushing her into the dressing room.

"Which means no making out with Yamazaki-kun, Chiharu-chan," Tomoyo grinned teasingly, making Chiharu blush furiously.

"Eh?!" Sakura stared, "You… and Yamazaki-kun…"

"No!" Chiharu denied, albeit not very well, as she still looked embarrassed as hell, "We're just childhood friends! That's all!"

"Dear Chiharu," Yamazaki called out jokingly, "You can just stay out here with me. I'm sure all the other girls can take care of Sakura-chan for now!"

"Oooooh, Yamazaki, I am so gonna kill you after this," Chiharu muttered under her breath, and the other girls laughed.

The girls were quick and experienced, and in no time had Sakura into her dress (Sakura barely even got a glimpse of the dress; the only thing she saw was that it was pink with some green), and without missing a beat sat her on a stool, one working on hair, another on makeup, etc etc.

"Ne, can't I see how I look yet," Sakura whined over all the people fussing over her.

"Not yet, Sakura-chan," Rika smiled, "Not until you're all done."

"Waaii, you look so pretty," Naoko gushed, "This give me inspiration for a story already! A romantic one, too…"

They were finally done, and Tomoyo covered Sakura's eyes, then uncovered them with a loud "Ta-daa!" as she faced her friend to a long mirror.

"Hoe," Sakura breathed, staring at her reflection as if she didn't know herself, "Is that really me, Tomoyo-chan?"

The gown had tight sleeves that swirled out at the bottom, a low, square-shaped neckline, and a flowing, full skirt with different layers. On the top layer, little darker pink cherry blossom petals and spring green swirls were embroidered in the blush pink, silky fabric. The second layer was shimmery light green, about an inch showing at the bottom of the sleeves and skirt. The last layer was a pure, white, intricately woven lace, a pattern of delicate flowers. The back of the dress was quite revealing, held up by green laces of ribbon. A large green bow in the back poofed out, almost looking like wings.

"You look so beautiful, Sakura-chan," Tomoyo sighed dreamily, "I absolutely knew this style would look splendid on you."

"Arigato-gozaimas for making such a fabulous dress, Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura cried out, giving her friend a large hug. She was truly touched.

"We'd better get going soon," Yamazaki's voice called, "Unless you girls want to be late!"

They managed to fit all the girls into the carriage, and now Tomoyo noticed the yellow cat wiggle into it, but said nothing, noticing Sakura already fidgeted nervously as they rolled along. She didn't need another problem right now. Tomoyo would tell her later, when she calmed down.

Sakura fretted. She may have looked more than good enough to attend the ball, but it didn't change the fact she was a commoner and all the other people there would be nobles. What if she trod on some aristocratic foot, or spilled wine on some royal clothing, or burped on accident, or tripped and fell on someone, or farted, or…

"Stop worrying, Sakura-chan," Chiharu scolded, noticing the girl's distress.

"Everything will be fine!" Tomoyo assured in her soothing voice.

They entered the castle and were escorted to the ballroom. As their shoes echoed ominously against the hard tile, Sakura noticed a yellow streak on the corner of her eyesight. Closer inspection found it to be no other than…

"Kero-chan?!" she gasped, instinctively scooping the smug cat into her arms, "Kero, what in the world do you think you're doing here?!"

"Waii, Sakura, is that your cat?" Chiharu squealed, petting him as he purred at the attention, "He's so cute! And loyal, following you all the way here…"

"No," Sakura grumbled, "He probably just came for the food; more specifically the sweets. He's a total glutton when he comes to sweets. I wonder how he isn't fat with all that he eats."

"Well, might as well let him come to the ball, then," Tomoyo grinned, and fished a pink and green ribbon from a pocket. "I was planning to stitch this on the dress as a bow at the last minute, but forgot," she explained, "But we can tie in on Kero-chan here and it'll match perfectly with your dress." Kero looked unmistakably vain and full of himself as Tomoyo's gentle hands tied the ribbon in a cute bow.

They arrived in front of the huge oaken doors of the room all too soon, in Sakura's opinion.

"All righty, we're all ready," Tomoyo smiled to the breathless Sakura, "Cat still there? Good, then let's go."

As the escort creaked open the doors, Sakura felt her breath catch in her throat. Then she was encouraged to take step with a gentle push from someone behind her, and suddenly she was in the room.

End of Ch 7

Finally, the start of the ball! Yay! The best way to show appreciation for this story are **reviews**, please!!!


	8. Would You Like to Dance

A/N: Because I was in an incredibly good mood (partly induced from getting 100 on that one math quiz, but mostly because this is now the story which I have had the most reviews :D), I wrote a lot and decided to update another chapter the day after updating the previous (which is really surprising, considering my snail-paced writing). So happy reading to all of you !

Chapter 8: Would You Like to Dance

Sakura stepped into the dimly lit room, head bowed and hands curled meekly to her lips in a shy manner.

"Hoe," she breathed, bright eyes scanning the room and its decorations, food, and people dressed in beautiful clothes. She couldn't believe she was actually here, in the castle, at a royal ball…

Tomoyo giggled softly as she noticed some admiring glances already being cast towards Sakura, who seemed oblivious to all the attention she was already receiving.

"Everyone's looking at Sakura," Naoko brought up softly, as if reading Tomoyo's mind, "I suppose there's the fact that no one knows who she is. Everyone can recognize Tomoyo-san, because your black, long hair stands out, and everyone knows the ladies-in-waiting who are always around you. But no one's really seen Sakura-chan before, and they're all curious because they can't recognize her. Hopefully, Shuiro-san and her daughters will be the same and won't suspect anything…"

A handsome blue-black haired boy with glasses walked up to the group, smiling gently. He was about the same age as them, and wore a fancy, dark blue robe with moons and suns embroidered on it.

"Hiragizawa-kun!" Tomoyo smiled.

"Daidouji-san," he replied formally, with a small bow, and then turned his eyes to Sakura. "And who may you be, young lady? I don't believe we have met before, as I would definitely remember a face so lovely as the one before my eyes."

Sakura blushed, unused to such a charming and flattering man.

"Oh, stop it," Chiharu laughed, "She isn't used to guys like you." The man just grinned.

"Hiragizawa-kun, this is Sakura Kinomoto. Sakura-chan, this is Eriol Hiragizawa, currently the strongest known sorcerer in the realm, the king's nephew, and related to the deceased sorceror Clow-sama," Tomoyo introduced formally, although obviously happy at seeing the boy.

"Th… the… the strongest known sorcerer?! And king's nephew?!" Sakura yelped in surprise, snatching her hand away from his as if he was poison.

A flash of hurt caused his handsome face to frown for just a second, before returning to his usual calm composure. "I prefer to be known as Eriol Hiragizawa," he smiled, although, Sakura noticed, a bit more coldly. It was a strange statement, but Sakura, for once, caught on immediately.

She and Tomoyo had had a conversation a while ago, where Tomoyo had told her that nobles rarely had true friends; with all the constantly changing power and money, friendship was not usually an option. "I'm lucky," Tomoyo had explained, "To have ladies-in-waitings who're my friends, but others aren't so lucky. There are many nobles out there who do care about things such as friendship, but due to their status rarely make true friends. People see them as a rich, powerful person, and nothing more, nothing less."

"I didn't mean it that way," she apologized, noticing a moment of surprise flit across his face at her unexpected words, "I was just a bit surprised… Wow, Hiragizawa-san, that's amazing! Could you show me some magic later on? I've never seen it before!" She gave a brilliant, warm smile.

Eriol blinked, a bit stunned, but then his face broke out into an affectionate grin. "It would be my pleasure, Kinomoto-san," he beamed, but then surprised her with a question, "May I call you Sakura-san?"

Sakura's eyes glowed with delight as she replied delightfully, "Only if I can call you Eriol-kun!"

"Deal," he laughed, and she laughed along with him, surprised, this time at the informality of that reply.

An indignant meow came from within the folds of Sakura's sleeves. "Don't forget the high-and-might me!" the meow seemed to say, and Sakura laughed. She held up the source of the noise for Eriol to see.

"Eriol-kun, this is Kero-chan. Kero, say hi to Eriol-kun!" she introduced happily, as if Kero were a person and not a cat.

Eriol smiled. This girl sure was strange…

"Good to meet you too, Kero," he chuckled as the cat gave a disproving feline-glare, "Although I suggest you keep him away from the ladies. Either they'd scream and kick him out, or hug him and start cooing about how cute he is. I would think he would appreciate neither."

"Eriol-kuuuuuuun, who's this cute little girl?!" a shrill, cheerful voice called, and a happy girl with long, brown hair bounded up to them. She wore a slim, orchid-colored dress, Chinese-styled.

"Nakuru, this is Sakura Kinomoto," Eriol introduced, "Sakura-san, this is Nakuru Hiragizawa, my older sister. And our cat, Spinel, that she dragged along," he added with a grin as a meow of protest came from a black cat that looked similar to Kero.

"I call him Suppie," Nakuru grinned, and was rewarded with an annoyed meow from Spinel and a laugh from the others.

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The elders, as usual, insisted that Syaoran spend his time at the ball dancing with every suitable girl in sight. "Damn," he sighed to himself as he danced robotically with another girl, "I hate these things… Why must Mother have them so often, anyways?"

One elder's eyes darted around, searching, hovering around Syaoran as he finished that dance. The elder's eyes finally landed on a group of girls and a boy in the corner, and smiled approvingly to himself as he saw their clothes; very high quality, no doubt a rich family. But he balked when he recognized Daidouji-san; she was infamous for turning down any dance from a male, whether a court boy or the prince himself. She would not do… but the elder then noticed a honey-haired girl in a pink dress standing there, too. Judging from her clothes, she was no lady-in-waiting; yes, definitely a wealthy girl.

He beckoned to the prince, who sighed and scowled as he followed the old man to the chattering group. It was time for yet another dance…

"Young lady," he chortled to the taken aback girl, or more liked wheezed, and nudged Syaoran impatiently.

"Would you like to dance," he sighed monotonically, casting the elder a resentful glare. Even looking at the girl, his eyes didn't register that he had seen her; it was as if he looked right through her. He held out it hand almost mechanically.

----------------

Sakura started when the boy asked her to dance. Just as she was about to ask who he was, she recognized the floppy brown hair and smoldering amber eyes.

Quite taken aback, Sakura stood there, petrified and speechless. The _prince_ was asking _her_ to _dance_! "What do I do, what should I say, does he remember who I am, I mean we met before, but he's the prince and I'm me so he probably doesn't remember-"

Her frantic thoughts were cut short by a nudge and grin from Chiharu, her eyes saying "say yes already!" Nakuru imitated a whistle, complete with an eyebrow waggle that would have made Sakura laugh if she weren't currently in such a situation. The other girls nodded encouragingly, and Tomoyo took a disgruntled Kero (who was grumpy because there still hadn't been any food yet) from Sakura's arms and gave her a gentle push, smiling widely.

With no choice but to accept, she placed her delicate hand into his gloved one, as for the moment her vocal cords weren't working.

He led her, stiffly, to the dance floor, as the next song, soft, low, and sweet, startled to play.

End of Ch 8

Yay, finally some interaction time between Sakura and Syaoran in the next chappie! Which, I will add as I do after every chapter, will come sooner if you REVIEW! Come on, press that purple button and type one! Lol, it's another cliffie… kinda…


	9. Tonight, It's Just Me and You

Chapter 9: Tonight, It's Just Me and You

"They really do look nice together," Eriol mused as he watched the couple dancing, "Sakura-chan's green parts of her dress matches perfectly with Li-san's green outfit." The outfit was a fancy shirt and pants, both a forest green with intricate embroideries of dragons on the silk fabric.

Tomoyo, as if reading his mind, voiced his thoughts out loud. "They look so perfect together," she sighed dreamily, "The perfect couple… Too bad they couldn't get married or something."

"Hmm?" Eriol asked, "Why not? Although I haven't heard of the Kinomoto family, even if they're lower class in court, I think the elders would still accept her…"

"Well," Tomoyo beckoned and whispered in his ear, "She's actually a commoner staying with the Kozu family. They don't know she's here right now; the Kozus can be really cruel. I would appreciate if you kept the secret," she added with a smile, already knowing his answer.

"Of course," he grinned; for all their respectful manner, the two were well acquainted and enjoyed each other's company well enough. Or maybe more than well enough.

Eriol found himself not surprised at Sakura's status. After all, she was way too… carefree, he supposed, to be from a court family. And she was also such a good person, he could tell… And it was often hard to find good people in high-class families. He smiled softly to himself, glancing at the beautiful ebony-haired girl standing beside him. Tomoyo-san, as he called her in his mind, was one of the good people… But to him she was truly one of a kind.

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The dancing, from the beginning, was stiff and awkward. Syaoran wasn't a bad dancer; it was just the fact that he absolutely hated doing it. As for Sakura…

The Li clan prince winced as his dancing partner, once again, trod on his foot. "That's the… uh… fourth time now, I think," he thought grumpily to himself, "And it's always my left foot, too… jeesh, if she has to step on my feet, why must it always be on the same foot? Well, I suppose one injured foot is better than two… but is one really injured foot better than two medium-injured feet?"

As can be seen, Syaoran was very bored.

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Sakura winced as she once again stepped on his foot. "That's the fourth time, isn't it?" she thought ruefully to herself, "Oh, I knew this was a stupid idea! Poor Ohjisama… wait!"

She had an idea, and quickly took control of the dance. The boy blinked in surprise as, as their feet stepped rhythmically to the music, Sakura started to lead them towards the edge of the room, away from the eyes of the watching elder. Once they were blocked from the view of the elder by the mass of dancing bodies, she pulled him along to the open balcony there.

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"Whew!" the girl sighed as a cool night whished softly pass, ruffling her short dark-gold locks of hair and the silky material of her dress. The sky was dark and stars, like little lanterns, twinkled brightly.

She turned around to face the bewildered prince, a wonderful smile on her face. For a moment, just a moment, Syaoran felt his whole body heat up, as if he were suddenly thrown in a furnace, and the empty, cold space in his chest felt full and warm.

Snapping out of his reverie, he managed to ask, "What'd you do that for?"

"You didn't seem like he was enjoying the dancing, so I figured you'd probably like it out here better, Ohjisama. Oh!" she suddenly remember, her face turning beet-red, "And I'm so, so very sorry for stepping on your feet so many times! My onii-chan always said I'm really clumsy, but to step on your feet while dancing… Gomen!" She bowed multiple times in a row, hands clenched and eyes shut tightly in embarrassment.

Syaoran frowned a bit. She reminded him of something, in the recesses of his mind, just evading his grasp. That smile, that hair, and…

His eyes widened. She was peeking timidly from under her bangs, unsure of whether he was angry. Those emerald eyes. The ones he could have never forgotten even if he wanted to.

For the first time in his not-too-long life, Syaoran felt like a girl was worth paying attention to. And out of all the strange women in the world (or court, anyways), he was feeling all butterfly-ish and speechless in front of the strangest of them all.

He managed to assure her he wasn't offended in anyway with a quick muttered "S'all right." She beamed at that, and again Syaoran felt some strange pressure in his chest and fire burn from the top of his head to his toes.

"Ano… are you Sakura Kinomoto?" he asked hesitantly.

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Sakura jerked her body up suddenly at the question. "He remember my name?!" she asked to herself wildly, but then realized her momentum was causing her to…

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"Waah!" Syaoran gave a strangled yelp as he saw the girl lose her balance and start to fall over the balcony backwards, arms flailing and eyes wide with panic. With his quick reflexes, he caught her hand and pulled her back towards him.

She sighed in relief, looking a bit frazzled and never more embarrassed in her life, but no worse for wear. Syaoran echoed her sigh of relief, and then couldn't help smirking at that (which, looking back, he found extremely amusing). The girl flushed hotly, fiddling her fingers and not meeting his eyes.

"You still haven't answered my question," Syaoran reminded her, all his awkwardness and nervousness gone. He snorted to himself. Why the hell did he get all air-headed over some weird girl?

Looking at the "weird girl" again, he was reminded why. Of course, now that Syaoran was in his "stubborn" mode, God couldn't have gotten Syaoran to admit that he saw something more in those green eyes of hers.

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Sakura, at the moment, was wishing fervently that the ground would open and swallow her up (nevermind the fact that she wasn't exactly on ground). She couldn't believe her klutziness had chosen this moment to act up!

Even worse, the prince was smirking. She covered her burning face with her hands, drawing her eyes away from his amber ones. "Strange," she the part of her mind that was not concentrating on her embarrassment thought, "His eyes seemed almost… warm…"

"So, are you Sakura Kinomoto?" he asked again, a bit of annoyance in his voice now.

"Uh… well…" was her intelligent reply, as her mind worked frantically to try and figure out a way to get out of this. She couldn't say yes; if the Kozus ever found out, who knew how much trouble she would get in!

"Isn't this supposed to be a masquerade ball?" she blurted out, and her mind shouted a little "yes!". "I mean, you're not exactly supposed to answer those kinds of questions…" she added hastily, in case he didn't get her point.

"It didn't seem like you cared about that a while ago with Daidouji-san and Hiragizawa-san," the prince replied, and Sakura didn't catch him give a little roll of his eyes; "What was the girl playing at?" he wondered.

"Well, I care about it now!" she replied cheerfully, as dense as ever, happy that he seemed to accept her explanation.

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Again, that strange feeling when she smiled… he wanted her to keep smiling, to keep that warm glow in his chest as he watched her cute face light up. But the moment was gone all too soon as he remembered the time.

"We'd better get back to the dance before the elder notices," he sighed, dejected at the fact that this was almost over. He almost enjoyed talking with this queer girl… And suddenly he jerked up straighter. What the hell were all those weird thoughts doing in his head again?! Why the hell was he even _caring_ about what was going on with this girl right now?

She nodded and they tiptoed quietly back into the bright, loud room and merged in with the dancers. His gaze was locked on hers, and he couldn't take his eyes away from those beautiful spring-green orbs… he almost gave another sigh as the song died down and ended, but caught himself as he reminded himself that he was Syaoran Li. The Syaoran Li, who was never, is not, and will never be interested in any girl. Common sense, and no argument about it. None.

So why did he feel like he was arguing with himself?

Syaoran was about to give his usual monotone "It was wonderful dancing with you", but, like the last time with her, his mouth seemed to have a mind of its own.

"Would you mind another dance?" was what was instead blurted out, and Syaoran's eyes widened. Was that him that just said that?!

About to withdraw the offer and walk away to curse some, those words died down as he looked at her face. She looked very surprised, but looked so happy… he was too polite to take back that offer, he decided. Or that's what he kept telling himself.

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"Would you mind another dance?"

Sakura's mind was whirling. _Her_? He was asking _her_? For another dance? The way Tomoyo made it sound, the prince hated dancing.

She looked at the royal figure, and saw surprise at his own words, as well as nervousness, embarrassment, and meekness. She grinned. She had been so caught up in his status she forgot that he, too was human.

"Really? Are you sure?" she chirped, still smiling widely.

The prince managed a nod, and hesitantly offered out his hand again. She took in, and with an extra skip in her step and brightness in her smile, started the steps of the next dance.

This one was light and springy, and Sakura recognized the infectious tune immediately. She loved dancing to this song, although (she glanced at her dancing partner), her usual bounce during this song probably wouldn't be welcome.

But as the music increased in volume and pitch, and Sakura noticed some couples around her whirling to the fast pace and laughing, she couldn't help but absorb all the happy feelings in the atmosphere. She gave a laugh. She really never expected to have so much fun _dancing_ at this ball.

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Syaoran's breath caught in his throat as the girl started swing more and more, causing him to have to loosen up his stiff body so he wouldn't topple over. She gave a laugh, a pure, sweet sound that caused all his muscles to suddenly relax, and before he knew it he found himself twirling to the steps along with her. His cheeks hurt… with a start, he realized he was smiling. And he couldn't stop, as he stared at the girl's joyful face.

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Sakura noticed, slowly but surely, as her dancing partner loosened up, and a smile start to form on his face. "He looks so much better with a smile," she mused, and said aloud, "You really should smile more often."

He twitched, as if snapping out of a reverie. "Smile?" he asked a bit blankly.

"Smile," she frowned at him, not liking the way he said the word as if it was a foreign language, "You look much better with a smile on your face. More like a teenager, and not some old man." She giggled a bit at that. He offered a weak grin, but looked at her a bit strangely.

"Sorry," she giggled uncontrollably, "I'm being weird, aren't I?" And that she was full out laughing, for what reason she didn't know, but just at the happiness bubbling from inside her and wanting to burst out. With extra vigor she continued to dance, for some reason not missing a step or beat, unlike her usual dancing during classes with the Kozus.

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Syaoran soaked up the sound of her laughter; he almost felt he could get drunk on it. It was so almost contagious… and then he was laughing along with her, and feeling the happiness bubbling from her and catching on to him, and quite, quite suddenly he felt like he was having the best time of his life.

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As the song reached its climax, the dance called for the male dancer to lift the female up. Sakura felt an almost-vertigo like sensation in her stomach as she felt herself lifted up by strong arms around her waist, and twirled around. Her skirt swirled gracefully, and her hands clutched his shoulders for support.

She looked in the prince's eyes, and with a bit of surprise noted that their icy exterior seemed to have melted, and now showed a lovely, warm amber color; it was like gazing into a whole different person. He gently brought her down and the music faded away, leaving the two breathless and lost for words.

"Thank you," Sakura whispered quietly, blushing with her head bowed.

"No, thank you," Syaoran grinned, and feeling really quite drunk, did an exaggerated, low bow, making her laugh.

She suddenly noticed, behind Syaoran, that Tomoyo was looking frantic and waving like a maniac at Sakura. She pointed to her wrist, as if there was a watch there, and, confused, Sakura looked outside to the tall, large clock tower in the distance.

"11: 56," she realized with an oncoming dread, "Crap!" The ball went by much quicker than she though; it would be ending in four minutes, in which she had to get back to the Kozu apartment, undress, wash off her makeup, and get into bed before the Kozus got back!

She rushed past Syaoran, running as fast as her damn high-heels would allow.

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"Wha… eh?!" Syaoran gaped, very much confused. All the turned around, shouted a, "Sorry, I have to go!" with a wave, and then continued running towards Daidouji. The two, along with her ladies-in-waitings and Yamazaki, rushed out of the room, very much in a hurry.

"The ball isn't over until midnight…" Syaoran mumbled, feeling very miserable that she left. It wasn't even a minute since she was gone, and he was already yearning for her; there was an empty cavern in his chest that only she could fill.

"I never did get her name, either," he sighed to himself, then stiffened as he felt the twinges of a familiar, unwanted aura.

"Li-sama! Li-samas!" the elder waddled over gleefully, "Li-sama, who was that lovely young lady you were dancing with? And twice, too, I may add! She looks high-classed, what is her name? Perhaps we could arrange some-"

He was cut off by a very irate Syaoran. "I don't know her name," he snapped, "She left before she could answer. And no, you don't need to arrange anything."

If his suspicions were correct, and she really was Sakura Kinomoto, and the elder found out she was actually a commoner, he would probably never see her again. He stalked off, ignoring the irritating elder, and walked back to his room on the opposite side of the castle.

Syaoran could still see her emerald eyes, her flushed face and stunning smile, how gorgeous she looked in her dress… And he admitted to himself that he was more interested in this girl than he had been in anyone, ever. He recalled the warmth and light feeling when he laughed; God, how long was it since he had done that? And it was all because her smile, her voice, her laughter… It seemed like, that night, there had been only him and her…

His dreams that night were filled with sweet laughter, green eyes, and windblown cherry blossoms.

End of Ch 9

Whew! Looong chappie… even though I should be studying for a History test right now, but meh. I'm sorry about the continuous mentions of Sakura's smile and beauty and ladeedada; I just felt it fit the situation. And scanning it over, I realize I used a lot of semicolons… ah well, at least it's correct grammer. And the separation tick marks were to mark the changes in points of view, although one or two sentences may have contradicted that; I felt I just had to add them in, and didn't want to put a whole 'nother paragraph. Hoped you enjoyed this extra-long chapter (It's not a cliffie this time, either!)! So please **_REVIEW_**!!!


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